


The Return to Base

by JackieSBlake7



Category: Blake's 7
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-15
Updated: 2016-06-15
Packaged: 2018-07-15 06:38:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7211924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JackieSBlake7/pseuds/JackieSBlake7
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Servalan goes to Gauda Prime</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Return to Base

**Author's Note:**

> Dealing with an accidental duplication of titles

The Return  
Jackie

Servalan looked around the building that had once been her home – more of a hovel than she remembered – though decades of neglect and the intermittent fighting that had gone on around the area had contributed to the state of near collapse.  
This had, once, been one of the houses allocated to inconvenient – or poor – relatives, and her immediate family had been both. She had resented the fact, and her exclusion from the benefits available to other members of her family and made it clear on her rare visits to the “big house.”  
Which – given her inconveniently evident talents in the local school system and their absence among those associated with the scions of big house – was why she had been packed off to the military academy, to “cure” her insubordination. She had decided to make use of the one opportunity she would probably ever have to escape from the mudball planet her family called home. And she had succeeded: her “successful”– in local terms – relatives were now willing to pull strings to help her, in the expectation they would get some return. She had detested their hypocrisy given their past attitude and decided to take her revenge.  
When she had returned on leave after her triumph in the Kasabi affair, she had, finally, been welcomed to the big house – but the snubs had continued, though now more subtle and snide. The final straw had been the “young master” encouraging her into a relationship – though she had already discovered, and had several times already made use of, the power of attraction – then ditching her when his disapproving parents found out. She was told he was destined for “better things” and an advantageous marriage. He was already onto his next plaything by the time she left, as desirous never to return as her relatives were to her not doing so.  
It had been a minor act of revenge to tell Don Keller, now her partner – on secondment from the resources department of the Federation administration – about the mineral wealth of her home planet. The family in the big house had had invested much in the local mining companies, and lost everything with the official intervention and declaration of Open Planet status. The “young master” had been forced to take a commission in the military. Somewhat later it amused Servalan to take on Travis as her subordinate when he would not have the chance to make use of the connection.  
She now wondered briefly what had happened to him since his abrupt disappearance – whether he had been caught up in the Intergalactic War or was he lurking somewhere to appear when she would be most inconvenienced. She had covered her tracks though, and made her career as Sleer. As he had not reappeared yet, she doubted her ever would.  
‘What do you think of this place – it has great potential.’  
Servalan looked around at the voice. The estate agent who was showing her around some of the “desirable properties” on this planet – whose inhabitants were more interested in welcoming rich incomers, such as she presented herself as being now – than whether their money came from the old regime or presently legitimate business. What they would make of Belkov – who, she had learnt indirectly, had also come to this planet – was something to be imagined, and enjoyed from a distance.  
‘You are charging a vast amount for a ruin of something that was nothing much to start with.’ That was obvious, even if she didn’t know the truth of the place.  
‘The asking price does reflect the historical associations,’ the agent said smoothly.  
‘Being what?’ Servalan asked, hiding her momentary disconcertion. To be finally caught out by such a trivial connection.  
‘That the famous rebel Avon and his companions stayed here once.’  
Servalan laughed, partially out of relief.  
‘It is a wonder that all the rebels had any time to win the revolution, given the amount of time they were staying on planets like this all over the place.’ And half of them, the great Blake himself included, would now rather travel and get involved in other matters than be involved in administration. One of the few similarities Blake had with Travis, who had said once, that being a field officer was more enjoyable than administration, which was why he had never gone for further promotion. Did the same apply to Blake’s associates and other rebels?  
‘But look.’ The agent pointed at a scrawl, carefully covered in glass, which stated that Vila Restal had been there, a number of years before. ‘Still not interested?’  
‘No,’ Servalan replied, walking rapidly back to the flier, the agent trotting after her. ‘I prefer a more urban settlement.’ Which was true… and the negative could be applied to the whole planet.  
The agent nodded, looked at his notes. ‘We have one that might fit the bill – only an hour’s flight away. Local tourist attraction included mind – so a bit more traffic.’  
‘Let’s see it then.’  
The agent looked at his watch. ‘Could probably do the tourist attraction while we’re there – and then head back to base.’  
‘Why not,’ Servalan replied. She had already decided to leave this planet. Let the ghosts of this planet haunt each other.

The area they were passing looked almost familiar: soon Servalan realised they were going towards the “big house.”  
The area had changed – an urban settlement had grown up. Complete with more than the usual number of tourist tat and fast “food” shops – indicating that this was the second major tourist destination of the region – the first being the departure lounge of the spaceport. Servalan wondered whether she should mention a vague connection to the family that had lived here.

The house was passable, and they went to the tourist attraction in the basement – and Servalan realised she had better not mention her connections.  
A large notice board, indicating equally large entrance fees, directed the queue of visitors to “Roj Blake’s base, Gauda Prime.”


End file.
